John Oliver Leaving ‘The Daily Show’ To Star In HBO Talk Show

John Oliver is ending his longtime stint on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” to star in his own weekly talk show on HBO, according to multiple reports.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining HBO, especially as I presume this means I get free HBO now,” Oliver said in a statement. “I want to thank Comedy Central, and everyone at ‘The Daily Show’ for the best seven and a half years of my life. But most of all, I’d like to thank Jon Stewart. He taught me everything I know. In fact, if I fail in the future, it’s entirely his fault.”

Oliver, 36, moved to the United States from England to work as a correspondent for “The Daily Show” in 2006. Last summer, he filled in for Jon Stewart while Stewart was in the Middle East shooting his his directorial debut. Oliver was greeted with rave reviews for his three months in the anchor chair, and many heralded him as the “heir apparent” to Stewart.

When Stewart returned to the show, Oliver went back to his correspondent role, albeit was seen less frequently. Rumors swirled that CNN wanted to hire him as a talk show host, but HBO appears to have won out. Other alumni of “The Daily Show” include Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell and Rob Corddry.

In addition to his on-air role on “The Daily Show,” Oliver co-hosts the popular political podcast “The Bugle,” and hosted four seasons of “John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show” on Comedy Central.

The new HBO show, which is currently unnamed, is expected to air on Sundays and premiere in 2014. It will join “Real Time with Bill Maher,” another weekly topical chat show.